Kept Under Covers
by angellwings
Summary: Sylvie is keeping a secret, for once in her life, no matter how much Cruz and Foster pressure her to give it up. [Brettsey] [OneShot]


**A/N: **Sorry this isn't chapter 6 of LILFY, but that's coming soon I swear! In the meantime, I wanted to write something short and sweet. So you get a one shot! ;) This is set in some vague future point where Severide is back with Squad and Matt has his head on straight, lol.

Happy reading!

Angellwings

* * *

Kept Under Covers

by angellwings

* * *

"People are talkin', talkin' 'bout people.

I hear them whisper, you won't believe it.

They think we're lovers kept under covers.

I just ignore it, but they keep saying,

We laugh just a little too loud,

We stand just a little too close,

We stare just a little too long.

Maybe they're seeing something we don't."

-"Something to Talk About" by Bonnie Raitt

* * *

Sylvie is opening her locker at the beginning of shift when Cruz shoves a short stack of envelopes into her hand.

"Your mail," he tells her with a suspicious glare. "Would have given it to you yesterday but you weren't home all day. That's been happening a lot lately."

She bites her bottom lip and tries to seem casual. "It has?"

Casey rounds the corner and stops at his locker, just next to hers. She tries not to visibly wince when she realizes this means he'll be a witness to Cruz's interrogation. Ugh, please let a sinkhole open up under her feet. Or Joe's. She's not picky.

Cruz rolls his eyes. "Who's the guy?"

"Why does there have to be a guy?" She asks as she pulls her EMT jacket out of her locker.

"Because the last time you were this weird you were running around with Antonio," Joe declares with a smirk.

Casey coughs, but Sylvie can hear the laugh underneath it.

"Well, then we're good. Cause Antonio is long gone," Sylvie replies with a shrug and a grin.

Joe quirks a brow at her and shakes his head. "No, we're not good. You're hiding something. I'm gonna to get you to tell me what or who it is by the end of shift. We both know you couldn't keep a secret if your life depended on it."

"No, I couldn't but there's no secret to keep. So, you're wasting your time," she replies.

She holds her breath as Joe narrows his eyes on her for a minute or so, hoping she's convinced him. Finally, he turns and leaves.

"This isn't over!" He yells over his shoulder.

"Good luck with that," Casey tells her as he pulls on his blue fleece jacket. "The next 24 hours is going to be a lot of fun for you."

She shakes her head and laughs while she sits down on the bench. "He's right. I'm probably gonna crack under the pressure."

"So what if you do?" He asks with a slight grin and questioning raised brows. "What's the worst that can happen?"

"It's not about what might happen, it's about how much I'm enjoying keeping it to myself," she answers as she flips through the short stack of mail. Her brow furrows as she comes across an envelope with her address scribbled in her mother's handwriting. "Huh. My mom never sends me mail. Not unless it's my birthday or a holiday or something."

Casey gives her a curious look, but the bells go off before he can ask anything. The call forced Sylvie to abandon her mail on her bunk before making a run for the ambo. She'll have to find out what her mother sent her later.

Joe points two fingers at his eyes and then one at her as he jogs past her with Squad. She chuckles before speeding off in the rig with Foster.

"What was that about?" Emily asks.

"Joe thinks I'm hiding something," Sylvie replies, looking away from Foster to pick at a piece of lint on her jacket. Anything to keep from looking Emily in the eye.

Emily gasps in recognition and slaps Sylvie's arm. "He's right! What is it? And how have I not noticed sooner?"

"Will you just drive?" Sylvie exclaims with a laugh. "Focus up. We're working."

"Fine! But we're talking after!"

Nope. No, they are not. Not if Sylvie can help it.

They reach the scene and Sylvie can feel her anxiety skyrocket the minute the ambo pulls up. Scaffolding collapsed around a historical building refurbishment which sent metal rails and splintered wood raining down on an unsuspecting street. A little girl is trapped in by weirdly angled rails, but is miraculously unharmed.

Hermann and Ritter, the slimmest in the house, each try to reach her and can't. The structure is unsteady and they don't have time to waste. Sylvie sighs in frustration and makes her way over. One clear look at the pile of metal and wood tells her she can fit easily.

The solution seems obvious.

"I'll go," she announces. "I can take a c-collar while you guys get a backboard ready."

"No," Casey says immediately. "We just need to open it up a little more. We can get the jaws and the—"

Severide winces as the structure pitches sideways slightly. "We don't have that kind of time, Casey. If Brett can get in there we should let her try."

Casey huffs and flips a pensive stare between Brett and the scaffolding before denying them an answer and deferring to Boden. "Chief?"

"Go," he tells Brett. "But if it starts to go and I order you out then you get out as quick as you can. Copy?"

She nods firmly. "Copy."

Matt gives her a resigned look and puts his helmet on her head. "Take this and be careful."

She can tell he's not at all happy about this, but what choice do they have?

Foster hands her a c-collar and then she's climbing through the bars. She's extremely thankful for her years of Zumba. Spin class is great but it's never really required her to be nimble and quick.

The girl sees her and starts to move in desperation to be free. The structure shakes and Sylvie forces herself to take a deep breath and meet the little girl's eyes.

"Hi, sweetie. Stay still for me okay. Let me get to you first," Sylvie instructs. "Don't move. We have to be very careful."

She whimpers but Sylvie can see her agreement in her eyes. A breath is released that she didn't know she was holding as she finally reaches the girl and secures the c-collar.

"Is that backboard ready?" Brett asks while she strategically untangles the little girl from the haphazard grid of metal poles.

"We're good!" Casey shouts in reply. "You got her?"

She ignores him for the time being to address the girl.

"Okay," Sylvie says as she ducks her head to meet the girl's eyes. "Can you wrap your arms around my neck?"

The girl nods and, for the first time, Sylvie notices her tear stained cheeks. Poor thing. She can't be any older than eight. She must be terrified.

"Can you tell me your name?" Brett asks as the girl's grip tightens around her neck.

"Carly," she replies, shakily.

"Nice to meet you, Carly, I'm Sylvie," she says as she cradles her to her chest and glances around to make sure she's clear of debris. "Hold on tight. I'm getting you out of here, okay?"

"Okay."

"You're doing great, sweetie. You're very brave."

The poles around her shift slightly and a piece of jagged wood stabs through the metal — right where Carly would have been. She would have been impaled or worse if Sylvie had reached her any later. She gulps through the alternate possibilities and pushes through.

There must be more movement behind her because she suddenly hears Boden above every other noise on the street.

"Brett! Get out of there!"

"I got her!" She replies. "I'm coming out!"

It wasn't easy getting to Carly and it's even more difficult maneuvering out with the extra width of a child attached to her chest. As she reaches the end where Severide, Casey, and Boden wait with the backboard she realizes the last opening is too narrow for both her and Carly at once.

"Take her," she orders Casey as she detaches Carly's grip.

He looks over her head at the creaky metal and then shoots her a concerned look. "Brett—"

"Both of us can't get through there. Take her and then I'll crawl through," she insists, interrupting whatever argument he had planned.

He nods, silently, and takes the girl. Sylvie waits until the men have secured Carly on the backboard. She willfully ignores the groaning from the metal above her. Now is not the time to panic. Even though, internally, she may be.

"We need a hand off!" Severide yells. "Foster!"

"On it!" Comes her partner's reply.

Carly is moved out of the danger zone and out of Sylvie's way. The creaking above her becomes louder just as she hurtles herself through the narrow space. Casey's and Severide's hands grab her and yank her the rest of the way. They all fall, with Matt shielding Sylvie as they go, at the same time as the scaffolding. Dust rises in a wide cloud, covering them from head to toe.

"You okay?" Casey asks from his position on top of her. She can see him searching her face for wounds or signs of pain.

"All good," she answers. "You?"

"All good," he repeats.

He lifts himself off the ground (and subsequently Sylvie) and offers her a hand up. She accepts it and lets him pull her to her feet. His hands linger on her waist and his gaze holds hers with a soft relieved smile. It's a moment that's longer than it should be and more than a few people notice.

She shares his smile before clearing her throat and stepping away from him. Back to work. They should both get back to work and forget whatever that was for the time being.

She runs toward the ambo and arrives just in time to help Foster load Carly and Carly's mother into the rig.

Foster quirks a brow at her as Sylvie climbs in the back.

"You've got some explaining to do, Partner," Emily says, her eyes pointedly drifting back to Casey.

Sylvie sighs but keeps her mouth shut. Instead, she replies by shutting the ambo doors in Foster's face. She feels badly about it but there's no time for this now. Or ever, as far as she's concerned.

They drop Carly off at Lakeshore and grab supplies on their way out. They're loading the stretcher back into the rig when Emily smirks at her with a knowing expression.

"So, what's with you and the Captain?"

"What do you mean?" She asks, playing dumb.

"I _mean_, the hands and the eyes. Not to mention the way he nearly refused to let you go after the girl. There's cautious and then there's protective. _That_ was protective."

"It was not," Sylvie rebuts. "He treated me the same as he would anyone from 51."

"No, I don't think so. I mean the number of times you've jumped into a potentially combustible vehicle at an accident scene are too many to count and he didn't stop you then," Emily points out, fairly. "Why today? Why now?"

"Because at a vehicle accident scene nearly everyone on Truck is standing by with a hose or an extinguisher. Today wasn't a vehicular accident. There's no way to put out a collapse with a hose," Sylvie says with a shrug. "He was being careful. That's all."

"Yeah, careful _with you_," Foster says, unconvinced by Sylvie's explanation.

"Whatever," Sylvie replies in resignation. "Can we go back to the Firehouse now? I'd like to shower away all this dust." She motions to her grey, formerly navy blue, uniform as she finishes. "If you don't mind," she adds dryly.

"This conversation isn't over," Foster warns.

"I disagree," Sylvie replies honestly.

When they arrive back at the firehouse, she blows past Casey and Severide without a second look, and heads straight for the locker room. She grabs the extra uniform she keeps in her locker, a towel, and her toiletry kit. When she emerges from the bathroom, showered and changed, she feels like a brand new woman.

Joe and Emily will _not_ break her. This is her secret to tell and, for once, she won't spill.

She remembers her mail and heads to the bunk room. Her intrigue about her mom's letter returns. She needs to know what's in the envelope.

Severide stops her in the hall.

"Hey," he says, reaching her in three long strides. "You okay?"

She nods and smiles. "Not a scratch. You?"

"Never been better," he responds. He snaps his fingers as if remembering something and reaches for his pants pocket. "By the way, I found this on the kitchen counter as I was leaving this morning. Thought you might want it."

He holds up her phone and she gasps in surprise.

"Oh my god, you have just saved my life," she tells him as she takes it back eagerly. "I didn't even realize I'd forgotten it. Thank you!"

"No problem. Stella forgets hers all the time," Kelly says with a laugh. "I'm used to it."

She stuffs the phone in her pocket and looks around for any prying eyes. "Still, thanks. You haven't told anyone about—"

He smirks and shakes his head. "Not my news to share, Brett. Secret's safe with me."

"Okay, cause Foster and Cruz are onto me and I don't know if I could take one more person trying to figure out what I'm hiding," she confesses.

"Be glad Stella's on furlough then," Kelly says with a snort. "She'd be right there with them."

"And she'd be even sneakier about it too," Sylvie agrees with a laugh.

She parts ways with Severide and continues toward her bunk. She gives Casey's open door a flickering glance as she sits and reaches for her mail. She can see him inside his quarters, filling out reports. She replays his hands on her waist earlier and smiles to herself.

"What are you grinning about?" Cruz asks.

Sylvie startles with a short yelp and then glares at him. "My mom sent me mail. I can't be happy about that?"

He opens his mouth to reply, wearing a sharp smirk, when Matt pokes his head through his door way.

"Everything okay?" He asks.

She meets his eyes and nods, reassuringly. "Everything's great. Joe just snuck up on me is all."

Joe holds up his hands in surrender. "Sorry, I thought you heard me coming. I wasn't trying to be stealthy."

Casey's eyes fall to the envelope in her hands and he leaves his office to stand at the foot of her bunk.

"Is that the mail you told me about earlier? From your mom?" He asks.

She nods and ignores the odd look Joe gives Casey. She slides her finger under the envelope seal and rips it open, but there's no letter inside. Just a singular newspaper clipping.

Her eyes narrow on it and then widen as she takes in the words on the page.

"You've gotta be kidding me," she says in horror.

"What?" Matt and Joe ask at once.

Instead of answering she hands the clipping to Matt.

He winces and gives her a shocked glance. "That has to be a joke, right?"

"Okay, now I have to know," Joe says as he extends an expectant hand toward Matt.

Casey hands him the paper while he waits for Sylvie to answer him.

"I don't think so," she replies. "That's cut from the Fowlerton Dispatch. It may be a small town paper but it's usually pretty accurate."

"Holy shit! The Chaplain got engaged to _Hope_?" Joe asks with a disbelieving guffaw. "Damn that girl works fast."

Matt scans a wary expression over the length of her. "How do _you_ feel about this?"

She scoffs and grins dryly. "Like I should have seen it coming, and also like Kyle's gonna need a _lot_ of prayer."

Joe laughs and nods his agreement. "It's a good thing he's a Chaplain then, huh?"

"It doesn't bother you?" Matt asks worriedly.

A warm smile blooms across her face as she focuses her eyes on his. "No, I've moved on. Hope can have him if that's what she wants. I have absolutely no regrets about coming back to Chicago. In fact, I'm better than I've _ever_ been right here and right now."

His concerned frown pulls upward into a wide fond grin that matches hers for warmth. "Glad to hear it."

Joe stands up a little straighter, looking as if a thought occurred to him, and points between her and Matt with a victorious expression.

"He's the guy!" Cruz exclaims, turning toward Sylvie. "It's Casey, isn't it?"

"What's me?" Matt asks, looking confused.

"Oh come on," Cruz says in exasperation. "It has to be you. You're both too smiley and then that moment at the scene today and your hesitance to let her go in—it all fits!"

"I can't smile just to smile?" Matt asks him as he lifts one brow. "Or check to make sure Brett's okay after a close call? And it's my job to be cautious with my people. I'm a Captain, after all. Last I checked Brett is included in the group of subordinates I'm supposed to look out for. I think you might be reaching, Cruz."

"And on that note," Sylvie announces as she stands from her bunk. "I've got a report to submit and a rig to restock."

She tosses a grin over her shoulder at Casey on her way out. Joe points at her again with a glare.

"That! That's a _look_," Joe states. "I'm right. You both know I'm right."

"Do we, though?" Sylvie asks him before closing the door behind her.

Messing with Cruz is more fun than she anticipated. Maybe she's not as bad at secrets as she always thought. If she can keep Cruz distracted with doubting himself then she might be able to pull this off.

For today, at least.

She finds Foster restocking the ambo and decides to work on her report from that last call.

"Did you sneak off for a quickie with the Captain?" Foster teases.

Sylvie rolls her eyes. "No, I did not."

"Well, you should have," she scolds.

"Sure, yeah," Sylvie says sarcastically. "I'll just go fix that now, won't I? Jump his bones in the bunk room."

"Jump who's bones in the bunk room?"

Sylvie's face turns beet red as she angles herself to face Matt at the back door of the ambulance. He definitely heard that entire exchange. She can see the cocky smirk reflecting in his eyes even if it doesn't show on his face.

"No one," Sylvie says as she awkwardly clears her throat. "Are you following me or something?"

He chuckles and then holds up her phone. "You left it in the bunkroom."

Second time she's done that today. She's really gotta get it together.

"So the two of you were in the bunk room together?" Foster asks with raised brows. "Alone, by any chance?"

"Alone with Cruz," Matt answers. "Does that count?"

Emily scowls and shakes her head. "No, no it does not. The people in this firehouse are hopeless."

When Foster turns away from them, Sylvie takes her phone from Matt.

"Thanks," she says, once again sticking the phone in her jacket pocket. "That's the last time I'm misplacing my phone today. I swear."

"Last time?" He asks. "Where'd you leave it the first time?"

"Oh! Um, you know, kitchen counter," she replies vaguely, looking down to focus on the tablet instead of him.

This time the smirk is clear in his eyes and on his face. "In the firehouse?"

She decides to give him a non-answer that resembles an answer. It keeps her from lying but still isn't very clear, and with Emily nearby that's exactly what she needs.

"Severide found it," she offers, in lieu of an actual answer.

"Right," he says with a nod and an amused glance.

"Captain!" A voice calls from somewhere out of sight.

Casey sighs and then walks away from her with a weak wave.

Once he's gone, Foster rounds on her with a determined face. "Where did Severide really find your phone?"

She gives Emily a strange look, even though she knows exactly what she means. "On the kitchen counter. Do you think I was lying?"

Emily's eyes narrow and her grin widens. "Not exactly lying, no."

The bells go off and Ambulance 61 is called to a wellness check. Thankfully, it keeps Emily from probing any further. They get another call over the radio as they finish dropping off the elderly man they checked on who'd fallen in his kitchen and broke his hip.

This call is for Ambo and Truck. Police assistance, possible woman in distress. The front door is barricaded so they need Truck to break it down and Ambo in case there are any victims. They end up transporting a woman who'd been held captive by her abusive ex-husband. She has minor injuries, but it's her emotional trauma that breaks Sylvie's heart.

They drop the woman off at Med, which Sylvie knows will be good for her. Med is full of people who go above and beyond.

"Hey," Matt calls as she and Foster step out of the ambo. "How'd it go?"

"Halstead says they're going to try and urge her to go to counseling before discharging her," Brett informs him. "Hopefully, she takes them up on it."

"Did you see the rope burns on her wrists?" Foster asks in disgust. "God, what kind of demented asshole do you have to be to do that?"

"PD's got him now and Chief put in a call to Voight so I'm sure that'll take care of it," Casey replies with a tense jaw.

Foster nods her agreement. "Voight don't play."

"Barely five hours into this shift and I'm already emotionally wrung out," Sylvie says with a tired sigh. "I am ready for a stretch of quiet, if we can manage it."

Foster scoffs. "Fat chance of that. We still have the after work rush hour to look forward to. Anybody in there with lunch?"

Matt nods and motions to the doors. "It's Ritter's turn today."

"Cool, I'm starving," she says as she turns on her heel and heads inside.

"You alright?" Casey asks, stepping closer the minute Emily leaves.

"Yeah, it's just been a lot today and it's still early. First the little girl, then the sweetest old man, and that last call—It's a lot of good people having a really rough day," she confesses. "I could use a few cut and dry fender benders or stupid frat guy dares. Maybe a bar fight. Anything less emotional to break up the day."

"I could run out and start a bar fight, if you want," he offers with a sideways smirk.

"Did I say I wanted you to be _in _a bar fight?" She asks with a soft laugh. "No, I did not. So don't even try it."

"Just trying to help you out, Brett," he responds, chuckling through the words.

"That would not be helpful, but you know what _would _be?" She asks, biting her bottom lip to hold back an eager grin.

His eyes brighten as he leans toward her. "I'm all ears. What have you got in mind?"

That's exactly what she hoped he'd say.

* * *

"Anybody know where Casey is?" Hermann asks. "I'm trying to submit this report but I need to clear something up with him first."

"Last time I saw him, he was with Brett on the apparatus floor," Foster replies as she puts her dishes in the sink.

"Well, he's not there now and he's not in his quarters. I already checked," Hermann says with a shake of his head.

"Maybe he's in with Boden or he ran out or something," Severide answers with a shrug. "I'll check with the Chief."

Severide leads Hermann toward Boden's office and the room goes quiet again. No one else thinks anything of it. Emily and Cruz trade knowing looks before Joe asks the room another question.

"Anyone seen Sylvie lately?" He asks.

He receives a variety of shrugs and head shakes in response and then crosses the room to meet Emily by the sink. "Do you think you know what I think I know?"

"Is it that Brett and Casey are totally sleeping together?" Foster asks in a whisper. "Cause if so, _hell to the yes_."

"They're both AWOL at the exact same time? Do they think we're stupid?"

"I mostly can't believe Brett hasn't spilled her guts yet," Emily says with a grin. "If I wasn't dying to know what's going on between them I'd be extremely proud of her."

"Right? It's been going on at least a couple of weeks and I'm just now putting it together. I'm amazed," Joe adds with a quiet chuckle.

"Where do you think they are right now?" Emily asks.

"Turnout room," Joe says quickly. "Best make out spot in the whole house."

Emily's eyebrows raise and she nods. "I'll have to try it sometime. They could also be in the back of the ambo. The gurney's real convenient, if you know what I—"

"Donuts!" Sylvie announces as she waltzes into the common room with a white bakery box.

Matt trails behind her with a second batch. Both of them are wearing their radios as if they've been off grounds and just gotten back.

"We thought we could use a little pick me up so Boden let us take a little ride in his buggy," Matt explains as they set the boxes down next to the lunch spread.

Emily and Joe instantly deflate.

"They really did run out?" Joe asks her. "Are you serious?"

Foster huffs and shakes her head. "Hopeless. They're _still_ hopeless. They just squandered another perfect opportunity for a quickie."

Cruz looks genuinely confused. "Are we totally off base here? Maybe we're reading too much into things?"

"No way," Emily protests. "We're absolutely onto something...I think. Maybe. I mean, I _guess_ I could be seeing what I want to see. But _dammit_ they'd be good together. Can you blame me?"

"They do make a ton of sense," Joe agrees. "Even if it's a little messy."

"What relationship isn't?" Emily asks with a snort.

He concedes with a shrug and a wince. "Good point."

"Just keep an eye on them," Emily instructs. "They can't keep it on the QT forever."

"You're right," he agrees. "They'll slip up eventually."

"And we'll be ready with the 'I _knew_ it' when they do."

* * *

Sylvie cannot believe she manages to walk out of Firehouse 51 with her secret still in tact. She did it! Her privacy lives to fight another day. She waves at Joe and Emily as she steps inside her car.

Next shift won't be so easy, but at least today bought her two more days.

She pulls away from the firehouse. Joe mentioned he plans to be at Chloe's today which means she could go home and have the apartment to herself or…

She could indulge in her secret and no one would be the wiser.

Barely twenty minutes later, her decision is made and she's knocking on a door that isn't her own. The door swings open and she's immediately motioned inside.

"Back so soon? I thought you were staying away to avoid suspicion?"

She glances up into twinkling blue eyes and a cocksure grin and fights the urge to melt right there in front of him. She wants to smack him and kiss him all at once.

When, exactly, did Matthew Casey start driving her crazy?

"Cruz is spending the day with Chloe. He won't even know I'm gone."

As soon as the words are out of her mouth she launches herself at him, capturing his lips with her own and wrapping her arms around his neck. He smiles against her lips, pulls her tight against him, and then gently nips her bottom lip to urge her to open up to him.

When she does her senses hone in on _only him_. The _sound_ of their kissing seems to echo through the large open space. The _feel_ of his skin under palms as she slides her hands under the round neck of his t-shirt. The barest _scent_ of sawdust and smoke that follows him everywhere. The way he _tastes_ of coffee the moment her mouth meets his. But better than all of that, when she finally pulls back and opens her eyes, is the _sight_ of hope and affection in his gaze when it finds hers. Both of those sentiments are intended for _her_.

"Breakfast?" He asks as he nods toward the kitchen.

She smirks and shakes her head. "Later. I just spent 24 hours trying _not_ to be too close to you so right now…"

He chuckles and gives her a look of perfect understanding. "You want to make up for it." He quirks a brow at her with an amused closed lipped smile as he continues. "You seemed to be having fun with that, though."

"Oh, I was," she agrees. "Confusing Foster and Cruz was probably one of my biggest accomplishments to date. We both know I can't keep a secret to save my life."

"Which is kind of adorable," Matt states with a smirk. He squeezes her waist playfully as he maintains a firm hold on her. This thing between them is only a couple weeks old but she already knows nothing can compare to the feeling of Matt's arms wrapped around her. "And, while I'm impressed with your self control last shift, having to pretend I'm not interested in you as anything more than a friend is a _little_ like torture."

"For me too," she answers honestly, removing her arms from his neck to skim her hands down his biceps. "And I don't want to do it for too much longer. But I just—I want to really enjoy _this_, with only us, before we let everyone in on it and it starts to feel like dating in a fishbowl. You know?"

"I know," he replies with a nod. "That's the double edged sword of having coworkers that are also family."

"Our business is their business," Sylvie declares with a muted laugh.

"I like that," Matt says, pointedly meeting her eyes again. "_Our_ business."

"Well, you know, we gotta go at this as a unit if we want it to work so…"

"Now we're a unit _and_ a 'we'. Even better. If only people other than Severide knew that," he tells her with raised brows and a playful grin.

She chuckles and throws her head back with an expression of feigned exasperation. "Fine!" She declares. "Beginning of next shift, first thing."

Matt's gaze shifts from playful to earnest as he searches her eyes. She's not sure what he's looking for but she lets her guard down and allows him in. Not that her guard is ever too far up with him. She trusts him completely.

"I only want to tell them if you want to tell them too," he assures her. "If it makes you uncomfortable in any—"

"Matt, I was joking. It really _is_ fine. I want people to know. I want them to know about _us_," she states confidently with a wide smile. "I don't want to keep my distance from you anymore. I promise."

His smile mirrors hers and the happiness on his face is nearly blinding. He wordlessly backs her further into the room until the backs of her legs hit the couch and they're both stumbling onto it with giddy laughter.

His weight settles on top of her and it almost feels too good to be true. She tangles their legs together, pulling one up at an angle to wrap around his. Her hands on his back latch onto the bottom hem of his t-shirt and tug upward. Once the shirt is removed and discarded his lips find hers while his hands work the fly of her jeans. He gets the jeans slipped down and off her legs, throwing them in the same general direction as his shirt, when the apartment door suddenly opens and closes.

"You know, Casey, you have a bedroom for that."

She blushes from the top of her hairline to the tip of her toes at the sound of Kelly's voice. Meanwhile, Matt simply pulls back from her with a smug grin. He doesn't even bother to look at Kelly as he replies.

"Are we really gonna do this? Because the amount of times I've walked in on you and Stella is—"

"Point taken, just pause long enough to let me get to my room," Severide says, urgently cutting Matt off before he can finish his sentence. "Hey, Brett."

"Severide," she greets as she lifts a hand from Matt's naked back to give him a small wave. To Matt, she says, "He's right, we should take this somewhere else."

"I don't know," he says, with an exaggerated thoughtful glance as Kelly's bedroom door closes. "The couch is pretty damn comfortable."

"If we move now," she begins with a sultry smile. "Then I might be able to carve out some time for you in the turnout room next shift."

"Now _that_ is an intriguing offer," he replies.

"Do we have a deal?" She asks, arching against him to bring her lips as close to his as she can without actually kissing him.

His answer is a deep and thorough open mouthed kiss that causes her toes to curl and her nails to press into his back.

He pulls away breathlessly with kiss swollen lips and nods. "Deal."

He stands from the couch and offers her his hand to help her up. Once she's standing he scoops up his shirt and her jeans and then yells over his shoulder at Kelly's closed door.

"Coast is clear, Severide!"

She grabs Casey's hand with a bright laugh and pulls him toward his room on the other side of the apartment. "A bed's better for what I have planned for you anyway."

She feels a light swat to her backside before he lets go of her hand to wrap an arm around her waist from behind. Her back meets his chest and he presses his lips to the shell of her ear. His warm breath against her skin causes an involuntary shudder.

"Bring it on, Brett," he murmurs against her ear.

"Oh, I plan to, _Captain_," she replies as she pries herself out of his hold and makes a break for his bedroom door. "But you'll have to catch me first."

Laughter and warmth and fondness for each other fills the air around them as he follows after her. It's been a while since her world has felt this full of goodness. Letting other people in on the secret won't ruin that. It can only make them stronger.

For now, she'll enjoy keeping him to herself, but she's ready for the world to know. Or if not the _world_ then at least Firehouse 51.

It's time for a new chapter in what she hopes becomes a very long book. _Their_ book. Their story. _Together_.


End file.
